What Lies Underneath the Surface
by bookman-junior
Summary: CHAP 2 UP! Tormented by a suffering heart,Lavi heads out of the HQ to clear his head. What he didn't expect was to have a unlikely companion,Tyki Mikk. Not sure with rating. TykixLavi, KandaxAllen.
1. Chapter 1

Advanced notes: Lavi is wearing his thin black shirt, white pants and his boots, while Tyki will be wearing his normal clothes with the top hat but minus the cane. o Enjoy!

Summary: Tormented by a suffering heart, Lavi heads out to clear his mind. What he didn't expect was to meet an unlikely companion, Tyki Mikk. Tyki/Lavi.

**WARNING: **If you don't like BL, Slash, Shounen-ai A.K.A. Boy/ Boy relationship, please turn back now by pressing the 'Back' button.

Disclaimer: Hoshino Katsura-san owns D.gray-man, not me.

Lavi has always liked Kanda Yuu. Ever since he saw the stoic swordsman, he felt that he loved him. Although he openly shows it to Yuu, he knows that the other would never return such feelings to him. He knew…no…He knows that it would take a lot of time and effort to melt the ice barrier that surrounded Kanda. Although he knew this clearly, he still tried to melt that ice even just a little.

Then Allen came. Lavi was curious about Allen's cursed eye and how the boy can be so cheerful even though he had a horrible past. Somehow, Lavi thought they were the same, acting as if nothing sad or traumatic had happened in their pasts. But Lavi knew in his heart that Allen was genuinely happy whenever he smiled. Lavi wished he could do the same but, like always, he knew it was impossible for him.

The first thing the Bookman-in-training noticed when Allen had arrived was the mutual connection between him and Kanda. Everyone had missed it but a future Bookman never misses a single detail. Sure, the two of them were always fighting when they met, whether it is in the hallways, the cafeteria, and on missions, you name it. Even with all their fighting, Lavi could tell that they loved and cared for each other dearly. After all, Allen was the one who opened up Kanda's heart. Lavi loved the both of them and wanted them to be both happy, so he decided not to interfere with them.

Finally, after some time, Allen and Kanda had gotten together. The two of them had become close for some odd reason while on a mission in Venice and confessed their love for each other. After their confession, they were rarely seen fighting anymore. And they were inseparable as if they were glued to each other now. Once, while on a mission with the two of them, Lavi had seen how they protected each other selflessly. They had even forgotten that Lavi was also there.

Of course, Lavi was very happy for them but he couldn't help but feel that he's alone and feeling lonely. Lavi laughed at himself for that because it was in the Bookman's code to be alone for the rest of his life.

"A Bookman has no need for a heart……" Lavi repeated the phrase to himself. He can never forget that. In the first place, he knew that he shouldn't have fallen in love with the two. A Bookman cannot love nor interfere with anything because they were only spectators; they were only there to simply record what was happening in the war. He says to himself that he shouldn't feel lonely because it was meant to happen anyway and instead he should feel happy. But even if scolded himself a million times he still felt solitude.

"Ahh! Why am I feeling this way? I…shouldn't feel this….I can't…I'm Bookman's successor! But…but…I can't…I can't help it!" Lavi held his face in his hands. He felt a tear fall from his eye; he was alarmed by this.

"…ah…What am I crying for?! I should be happy that they finally confessed their undying love for each other…!" Lavi scolded himself again. He remembered when he used to be able to eat with Allen or Yuu, but nowadays he can't even talk with them properly anymore because they were always with each other and they ignored everything around them as if no one but they existed.

"I should go for a walk. Maybe that would clear my head…hopefully." Lavi exited the library and headed out of the HQ. He went to a forest where he usually hangs out when he feels confused or depressed. In that forest, a large oak tree stood firmly. It was about 50 years old or so judging by the thickness of its trunk. Lavi always found that tree as comforting whenever he came. Since the time he first arrived at the HQ, this tree had somehow become his second sanctuary next to the library.

Lavi sat on one of the big roots where he always sat comfortably. He sat there for awhile thinking his thoughts through with less turmoil in his heart. He was still contemplating everything when he heard a noise to his side. He quickly activated his Innocence out of instinct and prepared himself for an attack. He was greatly surprised to see that the intruder was no other than Tyki Mikk, member of the Noah family and killer of one general, six exorcists, and have even killed Allen before.

"You!" Lavi raised his weapon, ready to attack his assailant but he was stopped when the older man raised his hand and spoke.

"Wait. I didn't come here to fight." Tyki spoke calmly

"What kind of fool do you take me for?!" Lavi exclaimed

"I know it's hard to believe, but I mean no harm, Eye-patch-boy." Tyki teased

"D-Don't call me that!" Lavi was flustered by being called THAT '_Eye.Patch.Boy?! Is he insulting me?' _

"Oh? Don't be embarrassed. You need company, don't you? So, lower your weapon." Tyki approached Lavi slowly. Lavi cautiously moved a step back. He started to lower his anti-Akuma weapon slowly. That's when he realized what he was doing. _'Wait! I shouldn't let my guard down! For all I know, this could just be a trap….' _Lavi raised his hammer again without warning, activated it.

"Size-shifting hammer, grow, grow, GROW!" Lavi shouted and the hammer grew to an enormous size. He swung it downwards to where Tyki was currently standing and a big crash sounded throughout the forest. The impact created a huge accumulation of dust that Lavi couldn't see through. He proceeded to look around for his target.

"Did- Did I get him…?" Lavi asked himself quietly. He continued to scan his surroundings in worry, but he didn't know why.

"Hardly." Lavi stiffened when he heard the voice behind him. He quickly swung his hammer but it just ended up hitting thin air.

"Wh-"Lavi couldn't finish his sentence as his right wrist was grabbed. He was spun around and pinned to the oak tree. The one who did this was obviously Tyki; his eyes held an emotion that Lavi couldn't decipher.

"What are you-"Lavi saw Tyki raising his free hand and started moving it towards the exorcist's face. Lavi, fearing for the worst, shut his eye close and prepared for the impact of the Noah's hand. Then…

_pat _Lavi felt something gently touch the top of his head, and he slowly opened his eye only to see Tyki Mikk smiling down at him, not in an intimidating way, though. It was rather like….a warm and caring smile? But Lavi couldn't believe what he was seeing. He blinked several times to make sure it wasn't an illusion. If he wasn't being pinned to a tree, he would have pinched himself hard already, but of course, that wasn't the case.

"What's with that stupefied look? I already told you I'm not here to fight, right? I'm only here for a personal business. Now, withdraw your weapon or I'll be forced to tie you up, so we would be able to talk rationally." Tyki explained and watched the boy for any reaction or reply. When he got none, he asked again. "Hey, boy. Are you still awake?" He waved a hand in front of Lavi's face. Nope, still no reaction. An idea hit Tyki's head when he still didn't receive a response. He slowly let his face move closer and closer to Lavi's face. And that's when he got an unexpected reaction.

THUD

Lavi suddenly jerked his head and hit Tyki's forehead _**hard**_. Tyki loosened his grip on Lavi's wrist and fell, not because he was hurt but because he was surprised. He hadn't expected the exorcist to actually head-butt him.

"Owww!!!" Tyki looked up to see Lavi sitting down on the ground and holding his forehead. The boy's eye was shut tightly in pain and his cheeks were flushed. What he didn't know though, was the reason why the younger one was blushing.

"Hey, why did you do that?" Tyki asked as he stood up unfazed and walked over to Lavi.

"Why not? Ow…" Lavi glared up at the taller man while still holding his forehead in pain. _'That hurt! Why does his head have to be that hard, literally.'_

"Because I already stated my purpose. How many times do I have to tell that I mean no harm? Quit being so stubborn, boy." Tyki tipped his hat a bit and closed his eyes. _'Seriously, why does he have to give me such a hard time just for me talk to talk with him?'_ He let out a sigh at this thought.

"But even so! You killed General Yeegar, six exorcists…and….and you even killed Allen! How do you expect me to trust you?!" Lavi now stood up and faced Tyki. His visible eye was laced with confusion, doubt, anger, and fear. Tyki saw all of this emotions clearly and he somehow felt bad for letting Lavi feel all this. But he also knew he wasn't the cause of all of it.

"I don't know either. It's all up to you how to do that. I have told you quite a lot of times that you need company, didn't I? Just let me do that, you're just hurting yourself more by trying to push me away." Tyki saw Lavi's eye widen at what he said. Lavi looked down so that his expression wasn't vivid. Due to his confused and sorrowful state, Lavi didn't really have the will and strength to fight right now and he did need a companion even though he knows Tyki can kill him at any moment.

"S-So you really aren't here to kill me…?" Lavi consciously sat on his regular sit while watching Tyki take off his hat and take a sit himself.

"Sigh If that was my intention you would be missing your vital organs by now." Tyki looked up at the full moon. _'Finally, he decided to talk properly with me, after all. I was already on the point of giving up and forcing him down.' _

"Oh…Why are you here then?" Lavi looked at him curiously. _'What is his real purpose? Should I even be talking to him? He's my...enemy.'_

"I told you, right? You need some company." Tyki looked him in the eye. Lavi quickly averted his gaze from Tyki with a light blush on his cheeks.

"Uhm…So, are you saying you came here to accompany me?" Lavi asked still looking away. But when he didn't hear a reply he looked back and saw Tyki smiling at him with a slow nod.

"But why? We're enemies. Aren't you supposed to fight or kill me?" Lavi looked at the Noah, but he still can't look at the latter's eyes.

"Would you want it that way right now?" Tyki inquired reaching for Lavi. Lavi backed away almost immediately and shook his head vigorously.

"N-No that's not what I meant at all!!! It's just that…It feels strange…you know…" Lavi scratched the back of his neck nervously. _'Why am I so comfortable talking to him…?'_

"I know you might feel that way. But you're the next Bookman, right? So that means you have neither enemies nor allies." Tyki stated the obvious. Lavi was struck by that statement and remembered Panda's own words:_**We are not their allies. We are only on the Order's side by chance.**_

"I…You're right…But how did you know I was here?" Lavi wondered.

"That….is a secret you'll never know." Tyki said mischievously.

"Well, I won't pester you about that anymore…" Lavi hugged his knees to his chest. This action made Lavi look smaller and even more vulnerable than he already was.

"So, are you going to divulge your problem to me?" Tyki asked expectantly.

"I…" Lavi hesitated for awhile before he continued with a shaky breath "…I feel alone and I'm longing for a companion…But I am the next Bookman. A Bookman has no need for a heart…Even if I wanted to, I…I can never have a heart!" Lavi hadn't noticed that tears were falling freely down his cheek by now. He didn't know why he was letting himself cry either. He jerked when he felt a warm hand touch his cheek and wipe some of the tears away.

"How can someone crying like you have no heart? You have a heart but it is chained…That's why you feel pain and sorrow right now." Tyki said comfortingly and hugged Lavi to his chest. The crying boy tried to push away but submitted almost immediately to the hug. He clung to Tyki while he sobbed silently into the elder's chest.

"Why…?" Lavi had so many questions like 'What is your purpose for doing this?' or 'Why are you trying to comfort me?' but 'why' was the only word he could utter.

"Because I know how it feels…to be abandoned." Tyki said honestly

"I-I….wasn't abandoned…" Lavi was alarmed by the idea of being abandoned. It made his heart twinge whenever he thought of it.

"I know, but that's not what I meant. What I mean is that the ones you love might be still very near but you feel as if they're so far, out of your reach." Tyki explained while running his hand through Lavi's hair in a soothing manner.

"I guess you're right." Lavi to pull away but his companion's hold was tight, "Tyki?" He looked up at the swarthy man with a confused expression.

"You're still feeling bitter and lonely, aren't you, Lavi?" Tyki smiled at the shorter boy knowingly.

"…..Wait! W-Why are you calling me by my name?!" Lavi's eye widened comically.

"Why? Didn't you just call me by my name as well?" Tyki smirked at this. He thought Lavi looked adorable when in this state and he could also see that Lavi's pain is starting to fade away.

"I did? I did!!! No! Ahhh! What will I do?! I shouldn't even have talked to you! Oh no…" Lavi bit on his thumb thinking what might happen and what will he do if someone found out. He was so into thinking that he forgot that he was still in Tyki's arms. Trying to be a gentleman, Tyki waited patiently for the young man to snap out of it. After just a few minutes, Tyki took the courtesy of snapping the boy out of his negative thoughts.

Lavi was startled when he felt Tyki's hand on his head and he looked up. Another realization hit Lavi's mind and he abruptly stood and fell on his butt. Tyki couldn't help but chuckle at the other's predicament. Lavi didn't make a move to stand up and just stuck his tongue out due to his habit.

"Oi! Don't laugh! I can't believe I didn't notice I was sitting on your lap this whole time." Lavi muttered the last sentence to himself but Tyki heard it loud and clear. This was yet another reason for the Noah clan/family member to laugh.

"What?!" Lavi crossed his arms indignantly

"It's-It's just that _snicker _that expression _snicker _makes you look so cute!" Tyki had to cover his mouth to try to stop his laughter but it was useless anyway.

"You think…I'm……" Lavi made sure to make a pause, "….cute?" Lavi had a dumbfounded look on his face and he pointed at himself for emphasis. He received a nod from Tyki and that just added the shock that he already felt. 'Cute' coming from the mouth of this certain Noah was already surprising enough but THAT word being directed at HIM(Lavi), NO WAY IN HELL!!!

"You have got to be…CRAZY!!!" Lavi roared at Tyki but that didn't take the smirk off the mischievous man's face. The Bookman-in-training calmed down a bit and stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes.

"I'll be heading back now." Lavi turned to walk away but was stopped when Tyki held his wrist.

"Wait." Tyki had a serious look in his eyes; this got Lavi's attention quickly.

"Wh-What is it?" Lavi stuttered at the intense look Tyki was giving him. However, his question was not answered. Instead, Tyki held Lavi by the waist and used his other hand (the one he used to hold Lavi's wrist) to lift Lavi's chin. Lavi could only stare with wide eyes as he realized that his voice was caught in his throat and that he was paralyzed due to surprise, fear, and the sheer suspense of what's happening.

Tyki slowly lowered his face to Lavi's before kissing the puzzled boy gently on the lips. Lavi's eye had widened even more at the contact of the other man's lips on his own. Even though it only lasted a few seconds, Lavi defiantly felt it. Tyki let go of Lavi's chin but still held the boy to him.

"Well?" Tyki asked, "Aren't you going to struggle?" He touched Lavi's cheek lightly, stroking it lovingly.

"Ah…I-I….I don't know." Lavi averted Tyki's gaze embarrassedly. His cheeks were so red that he believed it could match his fiery hair. Tyki just held the boy to his chest and stroked his head. Lavi felt strangely comfortable in Tyki's hold and getting his head stroked.

"I…" Lavi started

"Yes? What is it?" Tyki looked down at his companion.

"You know….that was my…" Lavi couldn't help but stop and blush a harder shade of red (if that's even possible).

"What was your what?" As cunning as Tyki is he couldn't grasp what the other meant. He heard Lavi mumble incoherently. "I beg your pardon?"

Lavi let out a nervous breath and continued, "I-I said that was my…." He looked uncertainly at Tyki who gave him a go-ahead-look and finished saying, "That was my first kiss…."

Tyki's expression was unreadable for a moment and this made Lavi even more nervous. Then the Noah (Fucker, maybe.Lol-) laughed. _'He laughed. HE-LAUGHED. He just laughs at me! Doesn't he know it's serious? Wait a minute, why did I even tell him that?'_

Lavi contemplated everything in his mind and decided to punish himself later (by doing a hell lot of work and some random things). The exorcist could only glare at the taller man as he laughed. After some time, Tyki finally stopped laughing, holding his stomach and wiping a tear from his eyes.

"Ah..ha…So-rry but I couldn't help it." Tyki straightened himself and looked at the younger boy

"What do you mean?" Lavi was generally confused

"It's because that wasn't even a real kiss yet." Tyki put a lot of emphasis on the word **that.**

"Huh?" Lavi was cut off when Tyki once again held his waist and lifted his chin to kiss him. Only this time it had more force in it. Lavi opened his mouth in surprise and he was shocked when he felt something slip into his mouth. He found out that it was actually Tyki's tongue; his eye widened again. _'Ack! H-He's tongue. Ahh..!'_

"Mmmphh…!" Lavi started squirming because of the strange, new sensation he was feeling in his mouth. Tyki did his best to keep Lavi from moving away. Lavi's squirming stopped at a slow pace and he finally relaxed and let his visible eye flutter close.

The need for air grew and Tyki was forced to dispel the kiss. He looked at Lavi carefully and saw that the boy was deeply flushed. His face was as red as a tomato. Lavi was gasping quite hard and he felt as if his legs are going to give out on him so he leaned into Tyki for support (which the older one enjoyed, mind you. ).

"Now that was a real kiss." Tyki smirked while licking his lips. This made Lavi blush ten times harder. When he didn't get a reply, Tyki started to worry a little.

"Hey, are you alright?" Tyki asked looking directly at Lavi's face with concern written all over his face.

"Y-Yes…I'm fine. I was just….surprised, that's all." Lavi nodded and looked up at Tyki with a reassuring expression. Tyki gave out a sigh of relief and continued to hug Lavi again.

"I was worried because I thought your heart stopped beating." Tyki ran a hand through his hair while explaining this.

"You were worried?" Lavi was confused at this revelation. He had no idea what was the right reaction he should give to his 'comforter'.

"Of course I was. I'm your lover now, so I should take care of you." Tyki meant every word he said sincerely. He even placed his hand on his left chest, over his heart.

"Lo-Lo-LOVER?!?!?!" Lavi backed away a little to look at Tyki's face carefully to know whether the gambler was lying or not. He found neither trace of malice nor fake concern in the darker man's eyes. Instead, he saw genuine love and pure concern.

"Yes, I am your lover now. We already kissed; thus making our relationship official." Tyki stated matter-of-factly.

"I don't know what to say." Lavi confessed.

"Don't worry. I'm prepared to wait for your answer." Tyki patted Lavi's head lovingly to try to comfort and reassure the confused boy.

"Thank you." Lavi flashed a happy smile at his so called 'lover'. He was glad that Tyki would wait for his answer and not force him into things too suddenly.

"You're welcome. I'll see you again when you're ready, ok?" Tyki placed his hat back on his head and cocked his head a bit to the side.

"Ok." Lavi answered quietly. Tyki approached Lavi again and placed a chaste kiss on the younger one's lips. Before Lavi can react, Tyki had stepped back and a gust of wind blew around him. Lavi had to cover his eye from the sudden gust so he couldn't see Tyki. Once he opened his eye, Tyki was nowhere to be found. He searched frantically before he heard a voice.

'_**I'll be back to hear your answer, my little bunny.'**_ Lavi was flustered by being called 'little bunny' but he figured he could live through it. He was also sure it was Tyki who had said those words.

"I'll be seeing you then, lover." Lavi whispered into the wind and turned to head back to the HQ with a smile gracing his lips.

'_Maybe…just maybe, he might be the one to be able to break the chains surrounding my heart'_

Author's note: So, did you like it? I'm only a newbie so please don't kill me! I'm sorry for the whole lot of '…' in Lavi's dialogues. Please leave a comment! Oh! And you can also leave a constructive criticism if you want. Thank you for reading my ranting and my fanfic! -

P.S. - Lavi was blushing because he thought Tyki was going to kiss him, which was actually what Tyki would have done then.


	2. Reminiscing

**Chapter summary:** After his fateful meeting with Tyki, Lavi can't stop thinking about the enigmatic man. But even then, he still can't stop feeling loneliness as he sees his friends' love for each other grow. Lavi continues to ponder about his feelings for Kanda and Allen, but at the same time...he could be starting to fall for the man called Tyki Mikk.

The ranting shall now commence. Well, for everyone who's reading this...I'm really sorry that it took this long for me to update 'What Lies Underneath the Surface...' Y'see, there are reasons.

1) the most troublesome of all School. I posted the first chapter before school started. Ever since then, I haven't got much time. But I'm on vacation now! But still...anyway, 2) explains things the best...I think...

2) Setting school aside, I did have time every now and then (explaining the other fics I've been able to post) But alas, I can't think of anything appropriate to set as a continuation for it. sad sigh Inspiration on Tyki/Lavi has been really scarce for me. I mean, I try to watch the new episodes, then I look at the latest manga chapter, but still no inspiration comes. Especially after I read ch157. I saw Tyki with the long hair (that's still good) but then they show this girl (the blushy one), then Tyki said, "And who is this lovely lady?". So yeah, my inspiration has been dead for a long time.

3) Illness. I don't know why but I've been prone to sickness these days, especially cold and cough. I still have a cough but it's nothing severe shrugs.

I think that's the simplest explanation I could give you. I'm **really **sorry!! I would like to specifically apologize to everyone who wanted the 2nd part. Please forgive me for taking so long and not coming up with something worth that long time.

Finally, I would like to thank all the patient people who actually took time to read my explanation (ranting). I do hope that someone would still feel like reading this second chapter!

* * *

It has already been a week since Lavi's fateful meeting with Tyki, but he still can't make up his mind. He continued to think and think, yet he still can't decide. At the same time, he was berating himself for allowing the Noah to comfort him and _kiss_ him of all the things possible. The Bookman-in-training wracked his brain for an explanation as to why he had submitted so easily to _that _man. No matter how long and hard he thought only two answers came up. First, the older man was far stronger than he was and he could have been killed if he didn't surrender. And second, he felt that Tyki was a kindred spirit who knew how he must really feel. Of course, Lavi preferred the first answer. He absolutely refuses to believe that the second reason was true.

'_Arrgh!! Damn it! There's no way he can know how I feel! He doesn't know me…' _Lavi was currently in his room, lying on his bed with the blanket covering his body. He buried his face in his pillow as he went deeper into thinking. After a moment, he lifted his face from the pillow and looked outside the window. The night was serene, just like thenight of their meeting. The red-haired Bookman looked down again and covered the lower half of his face. _'But, then again, maybe he…'_ Lavi shook his head lightly. He was getting tired from all the confusion he was experiencing. For the past few days, all he had been thinking about was Tyki. It felt wrong on Lavi's side but he can't stop even if he tried countless times already. He remembered it so clearly, all the details.

Lavi gently pressed two fingers to his lips, reminiscing about the kiss Tyki had given him. He furiously blushed whenever he remembered it. It was more embarrassing than the time Krory had bitten him. He felt his face heat up again as he recalled how the taller man slipped his tongue into his mouth, exploring every fraction of his mouth which he could reach. Lavi slapped both of his cheeks softly to dismiss the unwanted thought, but it was useless.

'_Damn him…I'm so tired of thinking about this! It's his fault that I'm stuck to this train of thought!' _Lavi rested his head in the soft pillow, looking up at the ceiling. He stared at it and lifted a hand.

"But why is it? Why do I think about it so much? Why do I think about _him_? Why..?" The puzzled boy whispered into the darkness of his room, never expecting an answer. Slowly, Lavi's eye began to feel heavy. He tried to stop it from closing, but his exhaustion overpowered his will to stay awake. Being too tired, Lavi's consciousness slowly faded as sleep took its place.

The next morning…

Lavi was not having a good morning. Sure, his sleep had been more peaceful compared to the previous nights, but his wake up call completely ruined his day. The Bookman heir had not expected himself to sleep in, because he was not physically tired and had slept early. But it seemed that mental stress could be as tiring as physical toil. Because of this, the old geezer, also known by the famous alias of Panda Jiji, promptly kicked him out of the bed to kiss the floor 'good morning'.

Not only that, on his course to the floor, Lavi hit a spider web that had appeared some time ago due to the lack of cleaning. The sticky thing got entangled in his hair and he had a hard time trying to remove it.

After recovering from his fall, Lavi then got a mouthful of scolding from Bookman. Starting with something like…

"Why are you still here?! It's already noon and you're still lazing around here, idiot!" Bookman reprimanded. The lecture went on for a bit and Lavi tuned out more than half of the lecture. Thinking about it, Lavi recalled that he had been getting the same wake up call ever since the day he had seen Tyki in the forest.

'_Grrr…I'm thinking about that again..' _

"Are you listening to me?!" The old man demanded. Lavi immediately snapped from his thoughts and gave his mentor a half-hearted grin.

"Yeah, I heard. I'm sorry, Gramps. I won't do it again." Lavi gave Bookman an apologetic smile, hoping that he would be forgiven. And it seemed to work.

Bookman only gave a sigh of resignation. His apprentice had been waking up late for the past whole week. He didn't want the notion to repeat for another week, it was a waste of precious time. But then again, Lavi had been able to finish everything that Bookman had assigned him to do. So, Bookman just let it slip…for now. He looked at his student who was still sitting on the floor with the cobweb still clinging to his hair. He closed his eyes and proceeded to exit the room.

"I'll let you go for now." A wide smile quickly spread across Lavi's face at Bookman's words. Seeing this, Bookman continued, "But…" Lavi's face became a little serious after that. His face showed a bit of anxiety mixed with a little fear. "You are to wake up early starting tomorrow."

"Okay! I promise!" Lavi gave his word but he was not sure if he could do it. But who cares? As long as he can get away this time, it would be fine, right? He'd just have to worry about it the next day.

"You should fix yourself and get something to eat. " Bookman said over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Gramps." Lavi smiled as Bookman left the room and headed for the library. Lavi scratched the back of his head as he thought of how he would wake up in time tomorrow. He was getting tired of being regularly kicked out of bed. He gave out a sigh and started to stand up, but then he realized that the web was still in his hair.

"Ahh!! Why did this have to be there when I fell?!" Lavi grunted to himself. So, he stood and got dressed. After dressing, with the web still intact, Lavi walked down the halls to the bathroom.

So, that's the story of how Lavi's _wonderful _day started. He was still dragging himself to the baths while trying to remove the accursed web from his hair. Because of that web, Lavi was not able to wear his bandanna and his hair was a total mess. The red headed Bookman was starting to get irritated, he had been trying again and again to remove that web, but it just seem to refuse to detach from his hair. That's why he just gave up and muttered to himself saying 'God must be punishing me…'

'_Why do I have this feeling that my day's about to get worst..?' _Lavi set aside his premonition and just continued to walk. Once he reached the baths, he opened one of the faucets to wash his face. But instead of feeling gentle water pouring down from the faucet, Lavi was met with a strong current of water to the face. He took back a step from the sudden force and quickly closed the faucet. Lavi's breath came in short ragged pants due to the cold water and the shock. His appearance now became even more messed up than it already was. His hair, as well as the web, was clinging to his face and he was now thoroughly soaked from head to the waist.

"Wh-What the hell was that about??" Lavi asked to no one in particular.

"Oh? Hello there, Lavi!" A voice greeted him from behind.

'_Th-That voice…it could only be…'_

"KOMUI!!" Lavi quickly turned around and pointed an accusing finger at the supervisor. Komui just gave him an innocent look. "You! What did you do with the faucet?!" Lavi asked the older man furiously.

"Relax, Lavi." Komui started, raising his arms in defense. "I only made a little adjustment with it to help the people in the Order wake up! Isn't it effective?" He finished excitedly. The Chinese man hid no pride from Lavi and started jumping around the bathroom happily. Filled with delight, Komui wasn't able to notice Lavi's growing irritation. It was too late when he noticed because he was already sent flying with the help of Lavi's Innocence.

"It _is_ effective but _not_ appreciated, Komui." Lavi said after Komui was gone. Even though Lavi was irritated at what Komui did with the water system, he was somehow thankful to it because when he tried to remove the web with a towel again, it easily came off. "Ah, finally." Lavi sighed._ 'I just hope my day won't be filled with any more mishaps…'_

The cafeteria was Lavi's next stop. Judging by the time, everyone must be finishing their lunch by now. That was a good thing considering that Lavi was still wet but he didn't look disheveled anymore. His hunger was just too strong to ignore, so he didn't bother to go back to his room to change.

As he entered the large dining hall, Lavi took note that only a few random finders were there. He went to the counter and was greeted by the friendly cook, Jerry.

"Hi , Lavi! I didn't see you at breakfast, what happened?" Jerry asked with concern. Lavi just gave a weak smile.

"Haha, it's a long story." Jerry looked at him a little more closely and detected that he was wet.

"Oh my! You're soaking wet! Are you alright?" Lavi nodded his head.

"Yeah, just hungry."

"Are you sure?" Lavi nodded again, "Okay! What's your order then?"

"Just fried rice and some dumplings."

"Just a moment!" Jerry disappeared back into the kitchen. When he reappeared again, he held Lavi's meal in a tray. "Here you go!"

"Thanks." Lavi flashed another smile and looked around for a sit. That's when he saw his white-haired friend. Allen was busily eating his favorite food and didn't know that Lavi was also there.

Lavi grinned and walked over to Allen's table with his small meal. He saw that Timcanpy was also eating with Allen. He laid his food down on the table and sat beside Allen.

"Good morning, moyashi!" Lavi teased the younger exorcist to get his attention. It worked like a charm,

"ICSH ARMMPH!!" Allen replied with a slightly angered expression. His answer was muffled because of the food which filled his mouth. Lavi understood what Allen said but decided to feign ignorance.

"What did you say?" Lavi asked just for the fun of it. He chuckled as he watched the younger boy try to swallow his food quickly.

"I said 'it's Al-le-n'!" Allen said with a bit of indignation. Lavi just laughed again and nodded. "And besides, it's not morning now. It's noon."

"Hehe, you're right, Al-le-n." Lavi imitated how Allen pronounced his name, syllable by syllable.

"Stop teasing me already." Allen gave a small smile. It was a routine. Lavi would tease him every single time that they saw each other. Allen saw his friend looking around for a moment and got a bad feeling when Lavi turned to look at him again with an evil smirk plastered to his face.

"Sooooo, Allen, my friend. Tell me somethin'…" Lavi started dramatically with a tint of something sinister; he continued to give that smirk as he moved nearer to Allen.

"Y-Yes?" Allen backed away a little, wondering just what his friend was planning. Then he saw Lavi's smirk turn into a wide grin.

"Where's your knight in shining armor?" Lavi joked. He struggled to keep his laughter to himself as he saw the younger boy's eyes widen comically. He was still feeling left out from Allen and Yuu, but he loved to tease the white haired boy because it helped him convince himself that he got over his love for them already. That's the why he could still cope with his loneliness.

"Wh-What are you talking about?!" Allen almost yelled. He knew what Lavi meant but he was too embarrassed to admit it. He felt his face heat up like a furnace.

"Oh? Is bean sprout trying to act clueless today?"

"It's Allen!"

"I know, I know. It just suits ya, besides, its fun! So, where is he?" Allen just looked away, crossing his arms with Timcanpy resting on his head.

"He's away on a mission…" Allen mumbled. Lavi wouldn't have caught it if his hearing wasn't good.

"Really?!" Lavi started with surprise. The two were inseparable ever since they got together so it was really something incredible to hear. "Komui must have had a really hard time, yeah?"

"He did. I had to help convince Kanda, too. He's just too stubborn at times." Allen huffed a bit. The red headed Bookman gave a small smile at Allen's words. The cursed boy still called his lover 'Kanda' even though they were already so close.

"C'mon, tell me what happened!" Curiosity is just something that Lavi couldn't resist. Allen eyed him for a moment and sighed.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you…" He gave another sigh before continuing, "Komui was really planning to send Kanda off alone. But then Kanda became worried that no one would look after me. And you know I didn't need anyone to look after me, right?!" Lavi jerked when Allen abruptly stood with an indignant look and his voice suddenly rose. A vein was visible on his forehead and left hand was fisted while the other had slammed the faultless table. Allen noticed that and coughed giving a small apology while he sat down again, regaining most of his composure.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away…" Lavi waved his hand slightly and smiled.

"I-It's fine. No need t'worry. Go on."

"As I was saying, Kanda was worried about me. So he somewhat refused to go on that mission. Komui called me to help him convince Kanda, after trying to talk him into it. I tried to persuade him and it did work. But he just had to place one condition."

"A condition?" Lavi noted Allen's exasperation. The boy just gave him a nod.

"Yes. He said that he would go on that mission in one condition. He said, 'Fine. I'll go, but on one condition'. Then, he glared at Komui like this." Allen tried to imitate the swordsman's glare. "And he said, 'You must not send _moyashi _on any mission while I'm not around, got it?'"

"I see." Lavi placed a hand on his chin as he pondered about what Allen had stated to him. A chuckle came from him, earning Lavi a stare from his companion.

"What?" Allen glared when he saw Lavi laugh harder.

"Hahaha, it's nothing. I just thought that was so like Yu."

"I couldn't agree mo-" Allen was interrupted by a loud growling sound. He looked confused for a while, wondering what it was. But when he saw Lavi's cheeks redden, he immediately understood and gave a little laugh. "Sorry, I forgot you haven't eaten, yet."

"It's alright. I don't really mind." Lavi scratched his cheek with a finger. That's when Allen noticed that Lavi was wet.

"Lavi! What happened to you?! You're drenched!" Lavi just stared at him like he didn't know what Allen was saying.

"Ah! This? It's the faucet's fault." He grinned _'More like Komui's fault.'_

"Shouldn't you change first?" Allen asked with worry. Lavi just shook his head.

"I'm going to be just fine. So stop worrying! Yuu will _kill_ me if he found out I made ya worry." Lavi lightly poked Allen in the forehead. The younger Exorcist winced at the contact and held a hand to his forehead.

"Just be sure to change right away, okay?"

"Yes, mom, whatever you say." A hit to the head was Lavi's reward for that. After giving the older teen a scornful look, Allen stood up.

"Huh? Where are ya going, Allen?" Lavi looked at Allen with confusion.

"I'm done eating so I'll go back to my room for a while." Allen gave a little smile as he said this and left the table. "Oh, enjoy your meal, by the way." He said before completely walking out of earshot.

Lavi smiled to himself fondly. _'Heh, it's been such a long time, Allen…since you talked with me like that…I missed it…hmm, I wonder if it's because he's not with Yuu.'_ Dispelling that thought, Lavi realized just how hungry he was and started to eat.

Lavi was able to quickly finish his meal and decided to go back to the library. He was already out of the cafeteria when he saw a familiar figure. He immediately recognized the person and ran up to him excitedly.

"Yu!" He exclaimed before slinging a friendly arm across the swordsman's shoulders. The next thing Lavi knew was that a sword was threateningly near his throat and that two very pissed eyes were glaring holes into his head.

"Don't call me by my first name or else I'll kill you." Kanda warned menacingly. Lavi just laughed it off as if he didn't hear the threat at all. But who can blame him? He'd heard the same threat a lot of times before and he was still alive. "And don't touch me, you'll get me wet."

"Haha, don't be so cold, Yuu. I haven't seen ya for 5 days, 16 hours, 23 minutes, and 15.8 seconds." Lavi pushed Mugen's blade aside with a finger so he could talk more freely. "Is it so wrong to greet ya?" Lavi teased with a wide grin on his face. And just to add gas to the fire, Lavi slung his arm around Kanda's shoulder again. A little bit of water got sipped into Kanda's clothing which ticked him even more.

"Stop touching me!" Kanda hollered, swinging Mugen at Lavi's neck. Because of experience, the eye-patched Bookman was able to dodge the sharp blade.

"Whoa! Put that away! You might slice someone!" Lavi raised both of his hands up in the international peace sign, taking a step back.

"That _is _exactly what I'm trying to do." Kanda glowered.

"You're no fun, Yuu. I was just joking around." Lavi grinned. Kanda seemed to have calmed down a bit and lowered his sword. He gave a sigh before standing straight again. _'He must be spent because of that mission he just had.' _Lavi mused.

"Che. I don't have time for your stupid jokes, baka usagi." Kanda sheathed his katana and impatiently treaded away from the Bookman heir. Lavi refused to back down and followed the stoic teen not so quietly.

"Y'know what, Yuu, Allen missed ya so much." Lavi started. He looked at the older teen in front of him, waiting for some kind of reaction. Kanda flinched and stopped in his tracks for a second before moving again. It was all the reaction that Lavi needed. He smiled to himself again. Sometimes, he felt really jealous of those two. They were always worrying and thinking of each other whether they were together or apart. "Ya should go to him right away, Yuu. I'm sure he'll be overwhelmed with joy."

Kanda didn't say anything but Lavi completely knew what was on the other's mind. He might be trying to act cool and tough, but inside, Kanda missed Allen a great deal and was definitely _dying_ to see him again. Lavi decided to speak up again to encourage Kanda to see Allen as soon as possible.

"I bet Allen hasn't been sleeping well these past few days." Lavi saw the other exorcist's head jerk up at his sentence.

"What?" Kanda asked with a voice tinted with concern. He slowly turned around to face Lavi.

"I've seen him around when y'were on your mission. He had dark rings under his eyes. B'sides that, he wasn't as energetic as usual. Allen's really worried about ya. Y'do know that, yeah?" Kanda gritted his teeth before he turned his back on Lavi and proceeded to walk into Komui's office. Lavi lingered at the front of the door and stared at it for a while. _'Those two…they try to act normal but I can clearly see their trepidation. Hehe, they're really stubborn.'_ Lavi was snapped away from his thoughts when the door suddenly opened before him. He quickly stepped back to avoid getting hit but he lost his balance and ended up falling flat on his butt. "Oww…"

"Get in." Kanda ordered, standing over the redhead. Lavi blinked up at Kanda confusedly and uttered a 'wha-', much to the older one's annoyance. "I said '_get_ _in'_." He repeated before slamming the door shut. It finally registered in Lavi's brain and he stood up gingerly, dusting himself. _'I wonder if it's a mission…'_

When Lavi entered the office, the first thing he saw was a pile of papers, of course. The next thing that caught his attention was Komui. The supervisor's head and left hand was wrapped in bandages and bruises scattered across his face. Lavi paled when he saw this and looked dejectedly at the floor. _'Shit, I must have sent him too far.'_

"Lavi! How are you?" Komui asked almost too cheerfully. That is, _too_ cheerfully for Lavi's liking.

"I-I'm fine..! Uhm, thanks for askin'..?" Lavi smiled shakily. Komui smiled right back, _intensely_, as if asking for _something_. The young Bookman apprentice tried to ignore it, but it was too strong so he gave in. "Fine, fine. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to send ya…that far or hit ya that hard this morning. I was shocked, so, sorry." Lavi just wished he will be forgiven without any consequences. Everyone knew how scary Komui Lee can be.

"Apology accepted." Lavi closed his eye and prepared himself for a punishment. "I called both of you here for a mission…" Lavi quickly opened his eye in surprise.

"Wait! Th-That's it? Ya ain't angry or anything??" Lavi inquired the Chinese. The man just looked at him for a moment and spoke.

"Now, why would I do that?"

"But this morning I- Well, y'know!" Lavi stuttered helplessly.

"Don't think about it! I'll be okay! It was my fault to start with." Lavi stared at Komui as if he'd grown a second head. He was grateful and all but it felt, well, wrong. But he just let it slide since he will benefit from it any way. "As I was saying, I called you two for a mission. Allen will also join you but I'll just explain it to you since we lack some time."

Komui pulled out a map and pointed at a certain location in Spain. "We have been informed that there had been an unusual event happening here. The Finders told us that some people from Sta. Cecilia suddenly got animal aspects such as cat ears and tails along with that particular animal's personality. This happened when they entered a cave not far from their village. No one knows how it happened but we are told that some residents were able to turn back to normal after a few days while the others still have animal aspects. That's why I'm sending the three of you there to investigate it."

"Hn."

"So, we leave immediately?"

"Yes." Komui nodded.

"Yuu, ya should go and tell Allen about the mission so we could set off." Lavi smiled warmly at Kanda, knowing full well how much the couple longed to see each other again. Kanda stood without saying anything and left the office.

Right after Kanda left, Lavi faced Komui. "I'll go and get changed first and tell Gramps that I'll be going on a mission." After saying that, Lavi quickly marched out the door. He made it to his room in short time and hastily changed his clothes but not before drying himself. The next thing he did was go to the library to look for his mentor, who he almost instantaneously found.

"Gramps!" Lavi called. Bookman glanced at him in a split second before going back to what he was doing.

"What is it this time, Lavi?" He asked wearily.

"Komui's sending me on a mission with Yuu and Allen."

"I see. You'll have to do your log when you get back then." Lavi's face turned sour at the mention of his work. None the less, he grinned and started to head out of the library.

"See ya, Gramps!" Lavi didn't reply to Bookman's words but he knew that the old man knew he was trying to avoid that topic. Before Bookman could say anything else, his apprentice was already out of sight.

"That idiot…" Bookman muttered, shaking his head tiredly.

**zzzz**

Lavi watched his companions with a beam on his face. Yuu and Allen were currently sleeping beside each other. Allen's head was resting on Kanda's shoulder with a smile gracing his pale features. Kanda, on the other hand, leaned his head on Allen's head, resting from his previous mission with a relaxed expression. Lavi closed his eye and contemplated the two sleeping beauties, ahem.

'_They're so happy together. They can't even rest properly without being together now.'_ Lavi chuckled to himself softly, afraid of disturbing the couple from their slumber. But his smile dropped as he remembered his own feelings. He let out a sigh of regret.

'_Here I go again with this feeling. So…I still do feel something for them. I shouldn't be jealous. Happiness, that's what I should be feeling…But why do I find that so hard?'_ Lavi felt a tear slowly make its way down his cheek. His eye widened at this and he quickly wiped it away, trying to regain his composure. Yet, it seemed that the tears won't stop from coming just yet. Lavi was really thankful that they were able to get a private room on this train and that Kanda and Allen were deeply sleeping. He wouldn't want anyone to see him crying.

The troubled young man looked forlornly outside the window, letting his tears fall silently. _'I do feel happy for them. I've told that to myself several times already. And I really am because I love both of them. But…when I'm left with nothing to do but think…I feel this…this envy, no, I don't think it's just that, loneliness is…what I really feel…' _Suddenly, an image of a certain Noah flashed through Lavi's mind like lightning. _'W-Why did I just think of him..?' _Lavi felt a blush starting to rise to his cheeks. He tried to make it go away by slapping himself lightly, but it didn't work. It just made his blush more evident._ 'I'm such an idiot! But really, why do I keep on thinking about him? Is it because…he claimed to know what I feel? Or is it because we're-we're…the same…?'_

A sigh escaped Lavi's pale lips. He couldn't bring himself to believe that just yet. Not now, but who knows? He might, sooner or later.

Lavi faced the sleeping lovers once again. He had an apologetic smile on his face and he whispered, "I'm sorry…for feeling like this." The red haired teen closed hi eye and stared at the landscape they were passing by. Unexpectedly, a yawn came from Lavi.

'_Now that I think of it, I haven't been sleeping well either. Maybe I should sleep, too.' _So, Lavi shifted a little in his seat to make himself comfortable. Once he got settled, he gave the sky one last fleeting look and thought, _'I wonder…if he's thinking about me, too…'_

With that final thought, Lavi's eye fluttered close and a dreamless slumber enveloped him in its warm embrace.

* * *

Author's notes: So...How was it? Horrible?...I do hope it's not **that** bad...is it? sigh Sorry for the OOC again. Please do tell me your honest opinions, I would accept itno matter how harsh it may be. Thank you very much for reading!

P.S.: For anyone that's curious, chapter three would be in Tyki's point of view. I'm planning on alternating the point of view between those two but I do take opinions. And, CHAPTER 1 IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION ('cause I'm starting to dislike it whenever I read it)!

**Here comes questions!!** First, I'd like to ask this, it's been bugging me for awhile so...Do you think Tyki's a virgin? I know it's a nonsense question but..! I can't help it..! I'm just so curious about it! And the other one...If I put smut in one of the chapters, should I change the rating to M? Just wonderin'...


End file.
